1. Fair use – better for economic recovery and
growth than strong copyright
Carolina Rossini
International Intellectual Property Director
carolina@eff.org
Electronic Frontier Foundation
www.eff.org
Defending your rights in the digital world!
2. • While traditional copyright
industry maximalist players like to
insist that any weakening of
copyright would be disastrous for
economy, the evidence is almost
always the opposite
3. US Study
• Fair use accounted for more than $4.5 trillion in
annual revenue
• Has also generated jobs > 233000, just in California
• Fastest growing sector > ITC based on fair use
• Investors and VC would stop investing if something
like SOPA/PIPA was passed
• There has been a increase in the production of
cultural goods
• More at: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/09/copyright-and-campaign-misinformation-new-study-affirms-less-
copyright
4. Goal of Copyright in the US
• To promote progress of science and
useful arts, by securing limited times
to authors and inventors the
exclusive right to their respective
writings and discoveries = > promote
creativity
5. Australia Study
• If Australia expand fair use alongside with
safe harbors for ISPs, there is a potential of
an extra $600 million on their economy
• Australia sector relaying on fair use
contributes to 14% of Australia’s GDP = $182
billion per year
• More at https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/09/copyright-and-
campaign-misinformation-new-study-affirms-less-copyright
6. Singapore Study
• The 2012 study showed that flexible fair use showed positive impact in
the growth of tech companies
• Singapore fair use amendments are correlated with a 3,33% increase in
value added (%GDP growth) = this resulted in a total increase of 2.27
billion for private tech companies as of 2010 (5 years of expanded fair
use implemented)
• Before this policy change, tech industry in Singapore was in recession
• AND THERE WAS no significant change in the copyright industry sector
7. Singapore’s conclusion
• Fair use expansion in Singapore
actually increased the value of
copyrighted goods for consumers
• Source: http://works.bepress.com/roya_ghafele/12/
8. • So, while huge corporations may find it
harder to keep grip on their market
share, it is not because people have
stooped or creating art. It is quite the
opposite, they are creating more by
incorporating fair use
9. • The counterfactual impact analysis
results for these studies show that fair
use policy is actually correlated with
higher economic growth rates in private
copying technology industries, while
having a very limited impact on copyright
industries
